When Star Trek: The Next Generation debuted in 1987, it introduced the world to a new Star Fleet uniform — the sleek, tight fitting, one-piece jumpsuits of TNG certainly looked more futuristic than the miniskirts and Beatle-boots of The Original Series, but they were also an absolute nightmare to wear. The bunched, they clung, and according to TNG costume designer Bob Blackman, they absolutely reeked…

“Spandex retains odor, so there is a certain part where if you’re wearing them for a long period of time, you can’t really clean all the smell out, and it becomes a little bit annoying. And it also retains the odor of the dry cleaning fluid. It is, on a day-to-day basis, unpleasant.”

So yeah, next time you’re watching TNG make sure to imagine the lingering scent of Worf’s ball-sweat in the air at all times.

According to Blackman, the final straw for TNG’s original uniforms wasn’t the smell, but the fact that they gave most of the cast terrible back issues. Starting with season 3 the cast were given somewhat more forgiving outfits.

They’d compress their spines. Well, Stewart’s anyway. He said in an interview once that his doctor told him he couldn’t keep wearing the damn thing without seriously compromising…everything. Supposedly this is why they switched out to the much more comfortable looking two piece suits.